Shocking haul of e-scooters seized by town’s police
POLICE in one South Wales town have revealed the sizeable haul of e-scooters seived by officers in just one week.
The electric vehicles have become a huge hit over the past couple of years – and have become almost a fashion accessory as well as a speedy way to get out and about.
But despite their popularity, e-scooters are illegal on public roads or pavements.
And police in Penarth have made sure that law has been enforced by staging a crackdown.
South Wales Police shared a photograph of the e-scooters which were taken off the streets by officers in the coastal town.
An earlier message from the force revealed that its Neighbourhood Policing Team had removed 23 e-scooters from Penarth’s streets.
The caption above the picture reads, “Remember: e-scooters are illegal to ride on a public road/pavement. Here, they can only be used legally on private land, with the landowner’s permission,” and provides a link to a list of FAQs on the South Wales Police website.
The post ignited a mixed reaction from the public. While some commended the force, others felt the crackdown was unfair and pointed out e-scooters are a greener form of transport.
Tracey Adams on Facebook branded the vehicles a “damn nuisance”, with riders “zipping around on them nearly knocking people over and crossing roads in front of traffic”, and said she’d “even seen them with passengers on them”.
Meanwhile Zahir Alam said: “These e-scooters [are] going to get some youth killed one day. Then you’ll see why they are illegal for for road. They ain’t safe. And they use them on the main roads with no helmets, no high viz vest, night time it’s very hard to see them. #RemoveEScooters.”
However Facebook user Jamie Williams had a different view, writing: “Sad the fact we have to ‘save the planet’ and go green yet we can’t use electrical scooters .... but can blast around in diesel police cars!”
“Strange one this. On the one hand we are told we need to go electric, but when someone ditches the car to get to work by electric, they become criminals?”, pointed out Andrew Freeman.
Some also pointed out that e-scooters are legally able to be hired and used in Bristol.
The FAQs explain that some areas in England are undergoing a trial where their use is allowed (but regulated) on public land and roads, however no such trials are taking place in Wales.
The police crackdown comes as privately owned e-scooters, sometimes called electrical scooters, are growing in popularity and use.
In the past year, there has been an explosion in their use, with many using them to commute.
They are defined as “powered transporters” by the UK Government and because of the way they are motorised and designed, they fall within the legal definition of a “motor vehicle”.
Privately-owned e-scooters are illegal to ride on roads or pavements – including cycle lanes and parks – in Wales.
People can still buy and sell e-scooters, but they can only be used on private land, with the landowner’s permission.
If anyone is found riding an e-scooter in a public place, it may be seized, and the rider could be liable to be prosecuted.
The Department for Transport has said 57 pedestrians, 383 riders and 21 cyclists were injured in e-scooter crashes in 2020.